Tip Methods vs Mechanisms Know the Difference Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Methods vs Mechanisms Know the Difference What' s the best diet and training plan for YOU Here' s the smart way to find out by Charles Staley January 11, 2017August 18, 2019 Tags Tips, Training What s Your Main Goal in the Gym Think of your primary goal. Now, how are you going to achieve that goal? There are two steps: Seek out others who were successful in reaching that goal. Next, isolate the behaviors and/or methods that these people have in common, rather than what they did differently. (That last part is crucial.) Fat Loss Goals A great example of this is fat loss. If you look at 100 people who lost a significant amount of weight, perhaps some of them used Weight Watchers, some went low carb, while others focused on eating "clean" foods. At first glance this seems confusing, but if you dig a little deeper you realize that all these people found a way to consistently eat fewer calories long enough to achieve their weight loss. In this example, there are various methods, but only a single mechanism. If you need to drop some fat and you're debating whether or not to go vegan or use intermittent fasting, for example, do some serious thinking about which method you're more likely to do consistently. Does that mean that all weight-loss methods are equally effective? Certainly not, but a "less effective" method that you'll do is preferable to a more effective method that you won't (or can't) do. Training Goals You might notice that some successful bodybuilders use bro-splits while others use a push/pull split. Some use lower reps, others high reps. Some use mostly free weights, others focus on machines. Some use forced reps, others don't. If you focus on these various methods, however, you'll be blinded by the fog that prevents you from seeing the underlying mechanisms of success: brutally hard work for long periods of time. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Take Your Shoes Off to Lift If you train at home (or can be sneaky at the gym), here's why you should ditch the shoes when squatting and deadlifting. Training TJ Kuster September 18 Training Scrape The Rack For Growth You've got to try this. You'll get more muscle activation and more growth, yet less wear and tear on the joints. Do it. Arms, Bodybuilding, Chest, Shoulders, Training Christian Thibaudeau June 5 Training EDT for Strength Need to switch your focus from strength to size? Use this classic hypertrophy program to build muscle and increase work capacity in 3 weeks. Powerlifting & Strength, Training Derek Woodske February 22 Training The BIGGER-ARMS Challenge Can you really make your biceps and triceps bigger in only four workouts? With this program you can. Arms, Bodybuilding, Training Ellington Darden, PhD May 1